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Neuse River near Clayton water level

River gauge, Neuse River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Low for late October

Water level

1.39ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
287 cfs
0 10 20 Highest onrecord 22.12 ft Minor floodstage 9.00 ft

History

358ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Minor flood stage358ftOct 16Oct 21Oct 25Minor flood stage
358ftSep 22Sep 30Oct 8Oct 17Oct 25Minor flood stage358ftSep 22Oct 8Oct 25Minor flood stage
-0358ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-0358ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-0358ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0358ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.20 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:30 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

At 1.39 ft, the Neuse River near Clayton is below normal for late October.

That puts it 0.26 ft below the median of 1.65 ft for late October, based on 38 years of readings. It is 7.61 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.29 ft (+0.10 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.20 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.09 ft and 2.52 ft.

Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.65 ft0.26 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.30 ft – 3.19 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year
1.29 ft+0.10 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.09 ft – 2.52 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.09 ft – 6.88 ft
Highest on record
22.12 ftSeptember 19, 1945
Forecast peak
1.30 ftWednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 9.00 ft, still 7.61 ft away.

What happens at each level

26.00 ft
The grounds of the pumping station begin to flood.
22.00 ft
Flooding reaches the lower concrete span of the bridge on Covered Bridge Road.
18.00 ft
Castleberry Road off NC-42 is flooded and flood waters approach the entrance to East Clayton Elementary School.
16.00 ft
Major flooding begins.
13.00 ft
Flooding will close the Neuse River Greenway trail.
10.00 ft
Upstream of the gage site, the Neuse River Greenway at Covered Bridge Road begins to flood.
9.00 ft
Minor flooding begins. Minor overflow occurs on both banks. Water reaches the edge of the Neuse River Greenway trail.
1.39 ft
Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 15 %.

RankLevelDate
122.12 ftSeptember 19, 1945
221.62 ftOctober 3, 1929
321.15 ftJuly 23, 1919
420.67 ftSeptember 17, 1999
520.48 ftOctober 9, 2016
620.12 ftSeptember 7, 1996
719.31 ftApril 26, 2017
818.70 ftDecember 1, 1934
918.32 ftMarch 20, 1975
1017.93 ftFebruary 4, 1973

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:26 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the Neuse River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Neuse River near FallsRiver gauge, Neuse River 1.24 ft Normal ±0 22 mi
Neuse River at SmithfieldRiver gauge, Neuse River 4.61 ft Normal −0.14 ft 10 mi
Neuse River near Cox MillRiver gauge, Neuse River 69.86 ft No reference yet −0.34 ft 22 mi
Neuse River near GoldsboroRiver gauge, Neuse River 2.92 ft Low +0.15 ft 31 mi
Neuse River at KinstonRiver gauge, Neuse River 2.96 ft Very low −0.08 ft 53 mi
Neuse River near Fort BarnwellRiver gauge, Neuse River 3.23 ft Normal −0.31 ft 66 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Swift Creek at Sr1555 near ClaytonRiver gauge, Swift Creek 1.06 ft Very low −0.04 ft 7 mi
Middle Creek near ClaytonRiver gauge, Middle Creek 1.54 ft Low −0.04 ft 12 mi
Little River near ZebulonRiver gauge, Little River 1.59 ft Normal +0.02 ft 12 mi
Walnut Creek at Sunnybrook Drive near RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek 2.29 ft Low −0.07 ft 13 mi
Walnut Creek at Rose Lane at RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek 3.99 ft Low −0.13 ft 13 mi
Walnut Creek at South State Street at RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek 1.58 ft Very low −0.05 ft 14 mi
Walnut Creek at South Wilmington St at RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek 0.67 ft Low −0.09 ft 15 mi
Marsh Creek near New HopeRiver gauge, Marsh Creek 2.78 ft Low −0.02 ft 16 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Neuse River near Clayton compare with last year?

It is 0.10 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.29 ft.

What is flood stage for the Neuse River near Clayton?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 7.61 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Neuse River near Clayton in late October?

The median for late October is 1.65 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.30 ft and 3.19 ft, based on 38 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Neuse River near Clayton today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:15 AM EDT, the water level was 1.39 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Neuse River near Clayton rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.18 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Neuse River near Clayton normal?

Low for late October. Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:02087500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.64722, -78.40528 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NAVD88
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 1.39 ft 2026-10-21 05:15 Provisional
Flow 287 cfs 2026-10-21 05:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Neuse River near Clayton (usgs:02087500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/neuse-river-near-clayton

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer